Month: December 2015

I posted this video last year. I will probably post it every Christmas for as long as this website exists. It is brilliant – and perfect – in its simplicity. If you edited it you would only lessen its effectiveness.

My dearest wish is that this season finds you with contentment, peace and happiness. If that’s too much to ask, and it probably is, I hope things are trending in that direction.

In the wake of any tragic incident, there is invariably an onrush of support, which is very welcomed, also invariably. Protracted conflicts, however, are won not with staccato-like bursts of energy and commitment. They are won via hard-fought incremental gains earned while others rest. They are won when our resolve is tested and not found wanting. We find victory only after forgoing every off-ramp to the path of least resistance. Such is the case with our fellow warrior Buddy.

The attached is from Phil Work. As you’ll recall, he is the father of the young lady pictured above. As these updates arrive, I will post them so we can remain at Buddy’s side for the long-haul. For now, I ask that you not allow these updates to become routine. Nothing about his current life is routine. Riding alongside him during this marathon is the least we can do. So reach deep and lift him up in a manner that suits you.

And about that Beat Army thing? We did. Again.

Buddy Marshall Update: After five weeks of critical care in Fresno and Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Buddy has transferred to the Magee Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital, also in Philly, on Dec 7. He has immediately started twice daily regime of physical and occupational therapy under the care of PT’s Patrice and Mandy. He also has speech therapy and training in swallowing techniques. He is strengthening and making steady daily progress in small but positive increments. The patient care team at Magee are terrific, kind, compassionate and caring experts in rehabilitation, just what Buddy needs! He is estimated to remain at Magee for 3-4 months. Please share and keep praying and pulling for Buddy. He’s on the way back, but still needs our help! He was to spend part of today with some good Navy buddies watching the Army-Navy football game which was held close by at Lincoln Field. Go Navy, Beat Army, Go Buddy!

Back in our first days of FCLPs in Kingsville and Meridian, every carrier pilot learned that predictability and procedural compliance take students much further toward the end goal of carrier qualification than does occasional, flash-in-the-pan brilliance. The instructors develop trust in “the process” – in this case, the student’s ability and willingness to adhere to procedure. We don’t “trust” that a pilot is going to fly an OK pass every time, but we do trust that he’s not going to lead the low. We don’t “trust” that a pilot is going to have a 100-percent boarding rate, but we do trust that she isn’t going to spot the deck and then make an unsafe play for the four wire. The difference is subtle but important in a profession with such narrow margins for error. Of course, this is not to say that we shouldn’t value the pilot who has a consistently great GPA and boarding rate – we should all be so fortunate. Instead, I am suggesting that if both the instructor (or fleet LSO) and the pilot trust the process, we can develop a reasonable expectation that the grades and boarding rates will take care of themselves. More importantly, we’ll meet the overarching objective of getting safely back aboard the ship. It is crucial for both parties to trust the process – trust the system.

Based on the timing of this post, some readers might be asking a logical question: what about when the system – the process – doesn’t work the way we think it should? Let’s stick with the carrier environment and look at an experience many of us can relate to. EVERY single carrier pilot has flown a rails pass into the three wire and then stood smartly while Paddles read him a Fair. It stings. We know we worked our tails off to fly a solid pass and are disappointed to learn that Paddles thinks less of our work than we do. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all experienced this debrief, and if we’re really honest with ourselves, most of us will admit there were times when we didn’t handle the situation as well as we should have. Did we argue? Did we roll our eyes? Did we sulk back to the JO eight-man, grumbling the whole way about those lying, blind, good-for-nothing LSOs? We forget that our reaction to disappointment says more about our character than do the patches on our jacket or the colored tiles on the wall. We forget that there are principles and goals that dwarf our personal ambition. The best pilots take the debrief in stride and continue plugging away. The best pilots, though not immune to disappointment, understand that there is more than personal satisfaction and affirmation involved here. The best pilots – the best officers – understand that though they didn’t get recognized with the grade they felt they deserved, the process worked. They got back aboard safely, which we dare not forget is the ultimate objective.

Let’s stick with the theme, but play with a hypothetical. Let’s suppose that after being read his Fair, the pilot went to his Skipper and complained about the gross injustice that had just occurred. Ideally, the boss would point out to this pilot what a privilege it is to be serving his nation in such an impressive manner, and that his complaints call into question his understanding of selfless service. Hopefully, the skipper pointed out to the pilot that being allowed to fly gray jets, orange and white jets, helicopters, or big lumbering props for the Navy is a damn good deal, one that many strive for and few achieve. Not satisfied with this response, though, the pilot boldly decides to approach CAG to discuss the sub-par work of his staff LSOs. Fortunately for the complainant, CAG is sympathetic to the struggle and orders the grade changed. Of course, there are no secrets on the boat, and word travels fast that grades are negotiable. You didn’t get the grade you thought you earned, the grade you thought you deserved? Go to CAG. He’ll hear your story and might even help right the apparent wrongs of the world. In the process of doing so, he’ll marginalize his LSOs and undermine the foundation on which the entire enterprise rests. CAG will send the message that getting what you want is more important than larger organizational objectives. Now, pilots know that they don’t necessarily have to bring their best each and every time they roll out behind the ship. Sure, they’ll work hard enough to not kill themselves, but why strive for repeated excellence when you can show up with “good enough,” and then count on negotiating your way to a better grade? What can we surmise about the level of trust the LSOs have in the pilots and vice versa? Remember, this “system” only works if both parties trust one another to place organizational objectives ahead of individual gratification and self-interests.